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Alternate Heating Options - Pot Belly Stoves

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
The downed furnace got me thinking about my reliance on electricity, gas, and propane for heating options to survive in my house. I gave some thought to acquiring an old pot belly and some ducting. With the right platform, I can lay that over the carpet, sit the stove on it, then pipe it out a customized panel that would slide in the top of one of the windows. Wondering who has some cool small wood stoves that would serve my purposes. My thought being I could store it in my garage and use it on the parking slab to cook and drinking beer around. Then when I needed to deploy it in an emergency situation, I'd have my piping and mods ready for it.

Funny how being short on an amenity will get the wheels spining.
 

Fletch

Senior Member
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Portable pot belly stove??? Sounds like alot of shit to go through in case your usual heater craps out on you...Let alone the fire safety concerns in a temporary setup... I'd get a portable kerosene heater...Instant easy heat...
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
I have an old wood burner in my garage that I pipe out the window. We lost power for a night a few years back in negative weather. I just opened the door to the house and kept it warm enough that no one woke up.

I bigger piece of the pie would be insulation and good windows. This place has 2x6 exterior walls, good windows and insulation. I ain’t saying I could heat it with a match, but it doesn’t take much of you keep the windows latched.

Do your wall outlets on exterior walls get cold?

If I ever built my man cave in the basement, a wood burner will likely go it. I also have a propane fireplace in my living room that has a regular propane bottle hookup.
 

Bowkills

Well-Known Member
2,577
85
Nw oh
Might as well put a regular permanent wood stove in. I need to go the other way and make life easier for myself , and stop 100 percent wood heat......but I'm too cheap.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
House is very well insulated, so one good source of heat does a lot. I've definitely thought about a kerosene heater, especially downstairs. I also thought about putting the stove down in my workshop, which would provide a good bit of heat that could filter up through the floors. Plus it would add to the "ambiance" of my shop.
 
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Fletch

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A permanent wood stove downstairs sounds like the ticket... My first house I put one in the downstairs and cut a hole in the floor directly above the stove and put a vent in... Heated the whole house with it... I actually loved splitting wood and had the biggest wood pile in the neighborhood... If I ever buy another house it has to have a wood burner...Actually seen a house I liked that had a wood burning furnace in the basement with duct work... That I really like...
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
House is very well insulated, so one good source of heat does a lot. I've definitely thought about a kerosene heater, especially downstairs. I also thought about putting the stove down in my workshop, which would provide a good bit of heat that could filter up through the floors. Plus it would add to the "ambiance" of my shop.
Sounds awesome! Dogs laid up around it, I can picture it now. Tinkering on a bow listening to the pine log popping and cracking. Damn, I can almost smell it! Get it done, son.
 

Cogz

Cogz
1,360
70
TX
Drolet Myriad II is what I just got. Menards is not restocking them again. MSRP of $1400 marked down to $600. Wait til they do their 11% off sale and ask for more since they want to move them. Also, drolet will send you a $100 check if you go to their website and provide the serial number. I got a $1400 stove for $400 Had to drive 90 minutes to a store that had one but well worth it. Huge box, pretty to look at even the wife likes it, and it’s compact for the size logs it takes and sq ft it can heat.
https://www.menards.com/main/heatin...e-900-2-100-sq-ft/db03051/p-1444444137854.htm
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Don’t look now Adam, you’re being useful! I knew you had it in you buddy. Like watching a kid grow! Proud moment here in TOOland today. 😊😍
 

Cogz

Cogz
1,360
70
TX
And here I thought a reference to ambiance would be as dainty as this thread would get. Leave it to the sack master. I’ve been tracking more this year, dont plan on disappearing in the “off-season” again. What off-season? Better get a double sleeping bag @giles , i’m coming to strouds with a nice smooth ball bag.
 

Fletch

Senior Member
Supporting Member
6,078
118
Sounds awesome! Dogs laid up around it, I can picture it now. Tinkering on a bow listening to the pine log popping and cracking. Damn, I can almost smell it! Get it done, son.
Dave,, Sounds good but you forgot the pot of venison chili simmering on top the stove with a cooler of Bud Lights on the floor... Well maybe more of a craft beer for Jesse...
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Sold. Wife says make it happen. Next question is logistics of getting a stack out from down there. From an aesthetics standpoint, the west wall of the house is the back of the house, so it's hidden best there. But, I'd need to go through either block, or just below the subfloor between joists and out the wall. If I put it on the north wall, I have easy access to a window that could be converted to allow for the stack. Only issue is it's not pretty aesthetically and I'd need twice the stack to get above the roofline. Thoughts?
 
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giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Find one, buy it, then figure it out😀. That’s a screaming deal and I’m thinking about doing the same. Not like they go bad. I could probably find a double sleeping bag while out. Win/win/WIN
 

Fletch

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I went through my block foundation and had a masonry chimney built.... I then knew that likely hood of a fire starting where it went through the wall was slim... So if it were me that's where I'd go...
 
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Cogz

Cogz
1,360
70
TX
You could box in, like a soffit, part of the stove pipe if that’s the issue. Depends how involved you want to get. Set your wife loose on pinterest at your own risk 😂
Just remember if you end up putting a liner thru an existing chimney it’s safest (and expensive) to put a double walled stainless liner for efficiency and chimney fire avoidance.
 
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bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Left hand window centers it under our master bath and the girls bedrooms. Right hand puts it square under our bed.
20190915_152252.jpg
 

Cogz

Cogz
1,360
70
TX
What’s the location like in the kids bedrooms and bathrooms? Any way to box the pipe in along the wall? You could put hinges on it for access.
Edit: i guess you said center...
 
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